When his contemporaries heard the works that Johannes Brahms had composed during his summer holiday in Ischl in 1893 – the Piano Pieces op. 118 –, they were delighted. Clara Schumann was one of the first to be allowed to get to know the new pieces, and she attested that they contained “a wealth of sentiment in the smallest of dimensions”. Philipp Spitta fittingly said that the works were “perfect for slowly absorbing in solitude and tranquillity”. Opus 118 contains two of the composer’s bestknown miniatures – the Intermezzo in A major and the Romanze in F major. We particularly recommend this volume, based on the musical text in the New Brahms Complete Edition, to all those who wish to immerse themselves in the world of Brahms’ late works.
